Amsa Bala — Vimsopaka Bala
Amsa Bala (आम्सा बल) literally means "strength from divisions." It is the BPHS Ch. 7 Vimsopaka Bala scheme — a 20-point system that measures how often a planet sits in dignified signs (own, Mooltrikona, exalted) across four progressively wider divisional (varga) schemes: Shad Varga (6 divisions), Sapta Varga (7), Dasa Varga (10), and Shodasa Varga (all 16).
A planet exalted in D-1 but enemy-sign in D-9, D-10, and D-12 is shallow—the natal promise will not survive marriage, career, and family life. Amsa Bala reveals where the true dignity actually lives across the spectrum of life areas.
The Four Schemes (BPHS Ch. 7 vv. 17–25)
| Scheme | Divisions | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Shad Varga | 6 | Body, wealth, siblings, marriage, parents, evils |
| Sapta Varga | 7 | + Progeny |
| Dasa Varga | 10 | + Career, vehicles, life-arc D-60 |
| Shodasa Varga | 16 | Full spectrum of all life areas |
Each scheme assigns weights that sum to 20. A planet earns a Varg Vishwa (0–20 strength) in each division based on its sign dignity: Sva (own/MT/exalted) = 20, Pramudit = 18, Shanta = 15, Svastha = 10, Duhkhit = 7, Khal = 5, Neecha = 0.
Vimsopaka Score Categories
- Purna (≥15) — wholly favourable
- Madhya (10–15) — mediocre / mixed
- Heen (5–10) — some good results
- Swalpa (<5) — incapable of auspice
Amsa Designations (BPHS Ch. 6)
Titles earned when a planet sits in Sva signs frequently:
- Shad: Kimshuka → Vyanjana → ... → Kundala (6/6)
- Sapta: + Mukuta (7/7)
- Dasa: + Sridhama (10/10)
- Shodasa: + Sri Vallabha (16/16)
How to read Amsa Bala in AstroSK
1. Vimsopaka Scoreboard
Rows = planets, columns = the four schemes. Each cell shows the Vimsopaka score (0–20), strength category (Purna/Madhya/Heen/Swalpa), and the amsa designation if applicable.
2. Division-by-Division Breakdown
Pick a scheme tab. The table shows every planet's sign in each division, color-coded by Varg Vishwa quality (green = Sva, blue = Pramudit/Shanta, yellow = Duhkhit, red = Khal/Neecha). A "●" marks good vargas.
3. D-9 & D-10 Amsa Rulers
The Navamsa deity (Deva/Manushya/Rakshasa) and Dasamsa Digpala (directional guardian) for each planet. These are independent of the Vimsopaka score; read them for marriage (D-9) and career (D-10) nuance.
4. D-150 Nadiamsa
Nadiamsa divides each sign into 150 slices of 0°12′ each. Use only with a rectified birth time; otherwise read D-9 and D-10 deities alone.
Key principle
Do not conflate Amsa Bala with Shadbala. Shadbala is a multi-component virupa total (positional, directional, temporal, motional, natural, aspectual). Amsa Bala is only the divisional-dignity component. A planet can be Shadbala-strong yet Amsa-Bala-weak.
Use Amsa Bala to answer: "Is this planet's strength stable across the divisions of life?" If the answer is no, look for compensating factors (vargottama, neechabhanga, exchange, other planetary support) before trusting the dasa to deliver.
📖 Full Guide
For a comprehensive reading workflow, scheme weights, Varg Vishwa tables, designation matrix, and implementation notes, see the full guide:
Amsa Bala Guide (GitHub)Source: Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra (Vol. 1), Ch. 6 (Shodasha Vargas), Ch. 7 (Divisional Considerations), vv. 17–26.